Dispenser

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A dispenser for beer in a bar

A dispensing system , often also called a dispensing system or beverage dispensing system , is a device with which drinks from storage containers, e.g. B. barrels (often kegs ), tanks, or so-called BIBs (Bag in Box), can be filled into drinking vessels .

Plant components

A dispensing system in a common design

A dispensing system consists of one or more taps (usually compensator tap ) and fittings for connecting the storage containers, usually barrels , plus a pump or a pressurized gas container , also known as a carbon dioxide or nitrogen bomb, with a suitable pressure reducer . The dispensing system can be equipped with the appropriate equipment for heating or cooling the drinks. As a rule, through-flow coolers are used here, which cool the drink when it is poured. A distinction is made between wet and dry coolers, whereby a cold water basin is used for the somewhat outdated wet cooling, whereas the dry cooling uses a cold aluminum block through which cooling coils with the drink run. Dispensing systems are usually used in the catering industry or where drinks are dispensed in large quantities. The amount to be filled can be dosed manually or automatically. There are now also cocktail dispensing systems in which ready-to-drink cocktails are filled from canisters into drinking vessels at the push of a button. Smaller home dispensing systems for small beer kegs and private use are also on the market.

A component of dispensing systems for beverages, in particular for draft beer , is usually a collecting device for the over-foamed or the coated beer foam . It consists of a trough under the tap, usually covered with a perforated, grid or slit plate, in which the liquid is caught and collected. Previously, the so-called has been leak beer often at a lower price to financially underprivileged customers served .

The so-called dispensing loss can be minimized by means of technical dispensing controls connected with the system, the correct dispensing technology and the correct pressure on the compressed gas line .

Tap pressure

A pressurized gas such as CO 2 is used to convey the drink from the storage container to the tap . This gas flows into the container and ensures the buoyancy of the drink via a riser pipe and the maintenance of the carbonic acid content of the respective drink. A pressure reducer is connected to the compressed gas container because the pressure directly on the valve would be too high. Setting the correct dispensing pressure on this is essential for dispensing. This should depend on the following factors:

  • The CO 2 content of the drink: the more carbonic acid-forming CO 2 there is in the drink itself, the higher the corresponding counter pressure must be so that the carbonic acid does not dissolve.
  • The temperature of the drink: the higher the temperature of the drink in the container, the easier the carbon dioxide dissolves and the higher the counter pressure must be.
  • The difference in height from the container to the tap: the higher the drink has to be transported in the fittings, the higher the driving pressure has to be.
  • The length of the pipe and its diameter: the longer the pipe and the smaller its cross-section, the higher the friction with the drink and thus the driving pressure.

The proportion of pressure that depends on temperature and CO 2 content is called the saturation pressure of the drink. The other part takes care of the transport to the tap. The pressure at the tap is then reduced again in order to avoid carbon dioxide losses and to produce a moderate flow of the drink. One speaks of a mostly adjustable "compensator tap".

As an alternative to pressurized gas, there are also dispensing systems with diaphragm pumps , which use a moving diaphragm to build up a negative pressure that releases the drink instead of z. B. CO 2 transported into the line and to the tap. With most models, it is not possible to set the pressure precisely because the air flows directly out of the pump.

contamination

The containers as well as the pipes and hoses of dispensing systems are at risk of becoming contaminated. In particular, the parts that come into contact with air, such as the tap fitting (tap) or the tap fitting (e.g. tap head) are particularly at risk from a hygienic point of view. Corresponding ordinances in Germany therefore stipulated regular cleaning until June 2005. From July 1, 2005 the general hygiene regulations for food, z. E.g. for the whole of Europe the so-called BasisVO, VO (EG) No. 178/2002 in connection with the so-called Hygiene Package H1, VO (EG) No. 852/2004 and in Germany additionally the Food and Feed Code (LFGB) together with the food hygiene regulation (LMHV) in connection with the recognized guidelines the cleaning goals. Coated components, such as B. a brass tap nickel-plated or chrome-plated, are no longer allowed for many drinks, but especially for carbonated drinks.

execution

There are basically three methods of pouring:

Premix

In premix systems , the drink is ready-mixed like the similar bottled drink. The container (e.g. barrel, container, tank) with the finished drink is connected to the system using a plug or keg connection. Using food-safe CO 2 , mixed gas (mixture of CO 2 and N 2 ) or nitrogen (N 2 ), the beverage is optionally pressed through a cooling system using operating pressure and then pressed to the dispensing system. Beer and wine are drinks that are only served as a premix.

Postmix

In postmix systems , the drink is mixed from water and a concentrate of the drink ("syrup"). It is pressed to the tap with a propellant (usually carbon dioxide or nitrogen). In a carbonator, pre-chilled drinking water is mixed with CO 2 under pressure and then pressed to the tap at the same time. Only in the tap are water and syrup mixed in the proportions specified by the raw material manufacturer. Cola and fruit juices are drinks that are served both as post and premix drinks.

There is now also a vacuum system for postmix and premix systems, in which the syrup or drink is sucked out of the so-called bag-in-boxes or canisters by a vacuum pump and pressed to the dispensing system. The pumps can be operated electrically or with the known compressed gases CO 2 , N 2 , mixed gas CO 2 / N 2 or with special, pure compressed air (as there is no beverage contact).

Brewing process

In the brewing system, the drink is dissolved in portions from a solid (for example coffee grounds) or syrup (for example in capsules) using hot water.

Web links

Wiktionary: Zapfanlage  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. Nick Eggers: Do you speak Hamburgisch? (395). In: Abendblatt.de . April 17, 2010, accessed September 26, 2016 .
  2. Beverage Dispensing Systems Ordinance (SchankV) ( BGBl. I p. 2044 )